Funds and Trusts > Fund Managers

Advantages: ISA, Ease of use, multiple funds under one umbrella.
Disadvantages: Time delay in receiving redemption payouts.

INTRODUCTION: Fidelity Investments is one of the worlds largest privately owned asset management organisations. It opened its research office in London in 1973 and six years later offered funds to UK investors. It is now a leading provider of ISA's and also one of the leading fund managing houses. It also hosts a fund supermarket under the name of Fidelity FundsNetwork. My experience: I have found investing through fidelity useful in many ways. ...
...prompt. Once you start using Fidelity you start to trust them more as they are very proffessional and quick. No sitting around wondering what is happening to your redemption/purchase--they keep you informed by email as well as post. Security: I've found Fidelity to be secure till date. They have a very effective secure messaging system that feels very safe when they have to message you. They send you an email to log into you secure messaging facility ... Read review

Advantages: An easy method of including commodities in your investment portfolio
Disadvantages: ETFs and ETCs are a new idea, commodity investment always has been risky

...called 'exchange traded funds' or ETFs that track commodity prices. You can buy ETFs that track gold, silver, platinum, iron, oil, corn, wheat or even lean hogs, or ETFs that track agricultural indices or hold a range (a 'basket') of commodities. Such ETFs are also known as ETCs or 'exchange traded commodities'. Until ETCs were introduced it was very difficult for retail investors to get direct exposure to commodity markets. Why invest in commodities? ...
...commodity in question. Can ETFs be put into ISAs (UK only)? For those who don't know, ISAs or individual savings accounts are tax-free investment accounts available to UK residents. From April 2008 UK residents can put GB£7200 pa into an ISA, which optionally includes GB£3600 cash. Until this time, the overall ISA limit is GB£7000 of which only GB£4000 can be held in shares. ETFs and ETCs are treated as shares like any other, so in principle ... Read review

Advantages: Wide variety of funds for all risk levels, low rates for changing funds
Disadvantages: Needs an independant advisor

Skandia (web site skandia.co.uk) offer a range of unit trust based investiment oppertunities. They charge at competitive rates but are not in any way cheap to join but the products have some key advantages. The first and most substantial advantage is that you get to choose from a wide range of unit trusts. So if you want to open an ISA (MultISA), move your PEP (MultiPEP) or do a straight forward unit trust investiment (Multifund) you can choose ...
...buying, and in any case Skandia onlt do business in the UK through independant financial advisors. Ifg you don't know where to find one you can simply visit the skandia website (address above) and search in your area. The website is also a valuable tool for the invester with a variety of areas covered. Wheather it is judging your risk exposure, finding an advisor or simply keeping up with the value of your investiments which are updated five times ... Read review

Advantages: No charges
Disadvantages: None

I live near Dundee, the home of Alliance Trust and Alliance Trust Savings. Its just about the biggest in the UK and been going a very very long time. I have had my PEP and ISA accounts there for over a decade. By investing through Alliance Trust Savings Ltd. one can keep Alliance Trust and any other shares, bonds etc. in one self select, ISA /PEP package. It now has full online management facilities with instant electronic trading. They also still ... Read review

Advantages: They invest and look after your money for you
Disadvantages: The value of shares can go down as well as up

...has got to do with AXA Investment Managers? Well, these well established and well known UK companies were the beginnings of a company which now has £45 billion under management in this country. Life assurance and insurance companies have been investing in the stock market and in property for many years and to do that they either employed their own fund managers or outsourced this responsibility to outside fund managers. When they employed their ...
...a few name changes from AXA Sun Life Investment Managers to the current name of AXA Investment Managers UK. AXA Investment Managers UK have been in their current offices in Newgate Street (right next to the Old Bailey) since November 2000. However, this is only a small part of the company, as AXA Investment Managers are global, with a particularly large contingent in Paris. Why Paris? Mainly because AXA started out as a French company. This means ... Read review